F*** You Flowers AU

Return Business

A month later Dean was in the prep room making a bridal bouquet when the bell over the door jingled and someone walked in.

"Be with you in just a moment!" he called out.

"Dean?"

He nearly dropped the white rose he was holding as he spun around to see Castiel standing there. Instead of a rumpled suit, this time the man was dressed in jeans and an AC/DC shirt. He looked damn good. Dean really hoped he was obvious as he checked the man out.

"Hey ya, Cas, how are you?"

Castiel smiled brightly. "I'm good. Great, actually." He stepped farther into the room. "Are you making a bridal bouquet?"

"I am. My brother's getting married tomorrow. This is for his fiancée, Eileen."

Castiel walked over to the table and picked one of the flowers up.

"Beautiful. What are they?"

"Peonies. They're her favorite flowers."

"What do they represent? Is that of any significance to her?"

"Well," Dean turned the bouquet around in his hands as he looked down at it, "they represent romance and love, and they're generally considered a good omen, that the marriage will be happy and long. I'm using a variety of colors that tie in with the theme of coral and yellow."

"It sounds like it will be a beautiful wedding."

Dean nodded. "They love each other very much. Not every marriage is so lucky."

Castiel set down the flower and watched as Dean tucked another one into the bouquet. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

Dean shrugged and tucked another flower in. "I guess. I didn't make enough money to keep her happy, so she found someone that did. Thing is, I'm happier now than I was with her. She wanted me to sell this place. I refused. I didn't want to give up my dream."

"You shouldn't have had to. I couldn't imagine ever doing that to someone. There's no way I could ever be that selfish."

Dean smiled. That was probably the nicest thing he'd been told since he and Lisa had split.

"So, what brings you in today?"

"Well, I thought I'd stop by and give you an update."

Dean set the flowers down and looked up expectantly. "I didn't think I'd ever get to hear how that story ends. So, what did your cousin think?"

Castiel's chuckle was low. "The moron thought they were 'cool,' and he stuck the mug right on his desk. I decided a two week notice was too good for them, so...I quit, on the spot, but not until after I contacted every one of my clients and told them I was quitting. They all made the conscious decision to take their business elsewhere. Primarily to my new company. I am the owner of Novak Accounting now. I took all of their top clients. My uncle is absolutely furious. But the best part of all?"

"There's something better than that?" Dean laughed. Castiel grinned wide.

"My cousin Hannah, I'm on good terms with her and she told me that my asshole cousin Bart, the one that was promoted in my place, threw out the flowers once I was gone. Hannah washed the mug out for him and he used it for his coffee the next day, during a company meeting to discuss what to do now that I took away more than 80% of their business. They were on a group video call with their remaining clients."

Dean doubled over laughing. That was hysterical!

"Oh my God! That's..." He was wheezing, he was laughing so hard. "What did your uncle say?"